BRONX, N.Y. — Defensive tackle Anthony Zettel was asked a simple mathematics question that potentially had A to Z philosophical football implications.
The question came barely a half-hour after Penn State defeated Boston College 31-30 in overtime at the Pinstripe Bowl in Yankee Stadium on Saturday.
So Zettel, an All-Big Ten first-teamer, didn’t have a lot of time to reflect on the fact that Penn State had secured its third straight winning record of the now undearly-departed Sanction Era.
But the query was timely, nonetheless: “What’s the difference between 7-6 and 6-7?”
The sack artist from Michigan, in his fourth season at Penn State as a redshirt junior, had this one. He knew it.
“One,” he grinned.
Then Zettel, a thoughtful 6-foot-4, 276-pounder, pondered the question, and put the victory into perspective. He knew it was the Nittany Lions’ first postseason win since beating LSU on Jan. 1, 2010, in the Capital One Citrus Bowl. And that it was Penn State’s first bowl appearance since the Jan. 2, 2012, TicketCity Bowl.
It also marked the end of one long and arduous chapter of Penn State football history. Still, the Nittany Lions had managed seasons of 8-4 in 2012, 7-5 in 2013 and now 7-6 in 2014. That adds up to 22-15 – a .596 winning percentage.
“It means a lot heading into the off-season with a winning record,” Zettel said. “It’s a huge momentum builder. It’ll get the young guys encouraged to lift in the off-season. Going into spring ball with a winning record is huge, especially with an emotional game like this, winning in overtime. It’s unbelievable. We won’t be looking back at a tough loss. This is a positive we can build off of.”
Zettel, as much as anyone, can put it all into perspective. A graduate of Ogemaw Heights High School in Michigan, he arrived at Penn State in 2011, but only after considering staying in-state when he was picking a college. (He was even part of a 100,000-plus crowd for an outdoor hockey game in The Big House on a recruiting visit.) Now, more than ever, the NFL prospect’s decision looks like the right one. Over the past three years, Michigan was 20-18, with two bowl losses and a bowl absence in 2014 after going 5-7.
“There are very few teams that could have overcome the sanctions like we did. I’m honored to play for Penn State,” he said. “To get this win and send the seniors out with a win, and to get them and the redshirt juniors like me who have fought all of four years means a lot. Emotions can’t describe how I feel.”
The victory literally came at the hands of tight end Kyle Carter, whose 10-yard TD reception of a Christian Hackenberg pass in overtime set up the winning PAT by Sam Ficken. It was Carter’s first touchdown catch since his 15-yard connection with Hackenberg on Nov. 2, 2013 in Beaver Stadium gave Penn State a 24-17 overtime win against Illinois.
“Winning is definitely a great feeling,” said Carter, who had only 18 catches between the OT win over Illinois and the overtime score in the Pinstripe Bowl. “We all knew we were at 6-6 and wanted to finish the season on the winning side of it. We did what we had to do to end up that way.”
In at least one way, with the sanctions gone and Penn State’s full complement of scholarships returned, Nittany Lion football has come nearly full circle. In 2010, the season before both Zettel and Carter arrived at University Park, Penn State finished 7-6, losing three of its last four games, including a 37-24 defeat at the hands of Urban Meyer and Florida in the Outback Bowl. Now, Meyer is at Ohio State and in the College Football Playoffs. The Buckeyes represent Penn State’s biggest challenge, although Michigan State under Mark Dantonio and Michigan, perhaps with Jim Harbaugh at the helm, aren’t far behind.
James Franklin, after thanking the Penn State seniors for their contributions over the past several seasons, said he is ready for the challenge after the Nittany Lions secured the win — and 7-6 winning record.
“It really springboards us into the off-season, next season,” Penn State’s head coach said after the bowl victory. “The future is very, very bright here. Very excited.”
There’s a chance that Penn State future may not include Zettel. He has submitted paperwork to the NFL to get a league evaluation of his skills should he decide to enter the draft in 2015. No matter where he plays next fall, Zettel’s performance in Yankee Stadium certainly is a good building block. Zettel had six tackles, five of them solo and two for losses. That gives him 17 TFL and eight sacks on the season, both team-highs, to go with his three interceptions, also tied for a team-best.
Carter, too, will use the bowl game as the beginning of next season rather than the end of this one.
“There was no better way for me to end the season, to be honest,” said Carter, who already has his undergraduate degree. “Everybody knows it was a tough season.
“To finish off the last game of the season like this, it was just icing on the cake for me. I’m blessed. I’m going to go into the next season working hard.”
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